Mick Fanning nails near perfect ride on way to Fiji Pro quarter-finals

MICK Fanning is back and he’s on fire in pumping waves at the Fiji Pro at Cloudbreak.

Mick Fanning of Australia winning his Round Four heat with a near-perfect 9.80-point ride at the Fiji Pro at Cloudbreak on Thursday June 16, 2016. Pic: WSL/ Cestari.

GOLD Coast surf star Mick Fanning is back to his best scoring a near-perfect 9.80 ride on his way to the Fiji Pro quarter-finals at Cloudbreak on Thursday morning.

Fanning, competing in his first tour event after taking some time off tour during his break year, showed absolutely no signs of being rusty with a stunning barrel to win his Round 4 heat with 18.07 points, ahead of fellow Gold Coaster Josh Kerr (15.07 points) and Jadson Andre of Brazil 13.43).

Kerr had a chance to join Fanning in the quarter-finals but was beaten in Round 5 by fellow Aussie Adrian Buchan.

After an intense standoff it was the goofy-footer Buchan who prevailed with the two best scoring rides of the heat to win with 15.67 points to 10.66.

Perfect 2m waves have greeted surfers at Cloudbreak with 11-times world champion Kelly Slater also showing some of his best form of the year.

Slater nailed the first 10-point ride of the contest in his fourth round clash and looms as the title favourite in a stacked quarter-final draw that also features current world No. 1 Matt Wilkinson, reigning world champ Adriano de Souza and former world champ Gabriel Medina.